


A Soft Epilogue

by akafinndameron (elleelizabethx)



Category: Roswell (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Infidelity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-06
Updated: 2018-01-06
Packaged: 2019-03-01 04:54:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13287420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elleelizabethx/pseuds/akafinndameron
Summary: "I think we deservea soft epilogue, my loveWe are good peopleAnd we've suffered enough."-Seventy Years of Sleep #4 nikka ursulaHappy New Year @grufflepuff.  I hope you like it.





	A Soft Epilogue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Grufflepuff](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Grufflepuff).



> Written for [Grufflepuff](http://grufflepuff.tumblr.com/) for the [ Roswell Gift Exchange (Round 2)](http://roswell-gift-exchange.tumblr.com/)

**Atlanta, GA - 2008**

“We could leave.”

Her surprise washed over him as she turned her head towards him, her doe eyes wide.

“I’m serious. We could just pack a few things in a bag and hit the road. I’ve got some money put away.” Liz pulled herself upright and rested her head against the wall, pillows against her back.

Michael could feel Liz’s mind racing, he flushed with her sudden uncertainty. “Where would we go? “ she asked.

His bare torso missed the warmth of the blankets as he pulled himself up to sit against the wall next to Liz. “ We could go back west. We liked that little town right outside Denver. Or we could try Oregon, or western Canada. I hear Vancouver is beautiful this time of year.”

He knew she would have a million reasons to stay, the biggest of which was Max - her husband. This wasn’t the first time he’s suggested she leave him, but he was hoping it would be the last. He’d watched as Liz wilted over the last few years under Max’s thumb. She’d given up the dreams she had for herself, and has been running around the country with them. They were all trying to stay at least two steps ahead of the Feds. He truly wanted her to have something for herself, wanted her to be free.

Liz reached out and tucked a piece of hair behind Michael’s ear, causing him to look at her. The unspoken question hanging in the air between them. Her skin is soft against his cheek where she cupped his face. “We can do this, we can leave,” he whispered. Liz leaned in and pressed her lips against his and all the stars in the sky exploded.

 ------

**Portland, OR - 2005**  

The first time it happened, Michael was standing at the grill in the diner frying eggs. A wave of fear and anger washed over him and his right arm went weak from pain. There was the faint clatter of the spatula hitting the cooktop while Michael sank to the floor. Marty, the other cook on duty, rushed to his side.

“Dude. You okay? “ He asked. Michael looked up at him blearily.

“Uh. Yeah. I think I should go home though. Do you have things covered here? “

“Yeah, man. Go. I’ll cover for you with the boss.” Marty helped him stand and walked him out to his car. “You sure you okay to drive man? “

Michael nodded, his head was clear. “Yeah. I got this. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

When he walked in the front door, Michael found Liz sobbing in the living room. He sat down on the coffee table across from her. “ Hey,” he murmured. “What happened?”

In the time they had spent together on the road, Michael and Liz had gotten pretty close. They often found jobs together at local restaurants as a cook and a waitress. They would spend the majority of everyday together. If you asked him a few years ago he would never believe it, but Liz was the person her was closest to in the world. Despite all that, Michael was still thrown by a crying woman, even if that woman was someone he cared about.

Liz looked up at him, tear-stained cheeks glistening. “Max and I had an argument. He got mad and grabbed me pretty hard. We struggled but when I cried out in pain he let go and stormed out.”

Michael reached out to hug her but midway through thought better of it. He awkwardly patted her on the shoulder. She let out a teary laugh. “Thanks.”

Scratching his eyebrow, Michael moved to sit next Liz on the couch. “I know Max has been a real jerk for a while. I won’t make excuses for him. I just want you to know that I’m here for you. Max and Isabel aren’t the only reason I stayed.”

Liz looked up at him warmly and gently bumped her shoulder into his. “Thank you Michael. That really means a lot.”

There was a warm feeling growing in his stomach that he hadn’t felt in a long time. Looking over at Liz, he had to fight the urge to go running after Max and talk -or knock- some sense into him. Michael knew Liz deserved better, she had given up so much them. He couldn’t understand how Max had lost sight of that. Michael had spent a lot of time envying Max for the good things Max had in his life. It was only over the last few years he realized how little Max had that he actually deserved.

Michael smiled softly and wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave a slight squeeze.

 -----

Atlanta, GA - 2007

“ Vancouver, huh.” Michael looked up at Liz who was walking towards him wringing her hair in a towel and smiled.

“I hear Canadians are very nice and there would be snowboarding.” Michael wrapped his arms around her toweled waist and pulled her into his lap. “We wouldn’t have to stay there forever. But we could start there, travel the world.”

Liz smiled dreamily. “Tell me what it would be like there.”

“Well, we could get a little place of our own. You’d go back to school. I would get a job. We’d get a dog, a big one with floppy ears. We’d go hiking on the weekends or go to the beach.” He lowered his voice suggestively “Keep each other warm on those cold winter nights”

“That all sounds wonderful Michael. But you know what else it sounds like? Running - forever.” She smiles at him sadly. “Max would never stop chasing us - you know he wouldn’t. I can’t even imagine what the punishment would be if he found out”

“How much longer do you think we have before he finds out? He might be a single minded, controlling rage monster. But I don’t know how long we can really keep hiding this from him,” his voice still low. “How much longer can we live like this? Walking on eggshells around his royal highness. I mean even Izzy and Kyle have figured us out. Sometimes I think he knows and he’s just toying with us.”

Liz shrugged helplessly ”I don’t know Michael. Maybe it would be better if we just told him.”

“Or we could just fake our own deaths” Liz looked at him sharply. “What? It would be easier. That is for damn sure.”

“Easier for how long? Until we want to see Isabel or Kyle again. Or until he stumbles across us? Or hires a private detective to find us? Michael, I just want to be done.”

Michael tightened his arms around Liz. “I know. I feel the same way but if we want something to change, we have to change something.”

 -----

**Denver, CO - 2006**

The first time Liz kissed Michael it was on top of the beat up old van they had been driving around in. They had found a spot near Lookout Mountain and had spent the better part of the night talking.

“Do you ever miss the desert?” Liz asks, as she rolled onto her back so she could stare at the sparkling expanse above them.

“Sometimes, but I don’t miss Roswell.” Michael intoned as he moved his arms up to rest he head on his hands.

“Really? “ disbelief filled her voice. “ Not any of it?”

“Tell me Parker, what about Roswell is there to miss for me? No family, nothing that really belonged to me, I have everything that mattered to me in Roswell right here. Do I wish we weren’t on the run from feds who are trying to abduct and experiment on us? Sure. But I’m not losing a lot of sleep missing Roswell.”

Liz had sat up with a strange look on her face. “Everything that mattered to you in Roswell is right here? “

Michael stuttered. “W-w-well sure.” He pressed his hand to his face, roughly rubbing his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “You know. Like here - in Denver. Isabel and Kyle are here.”

Quirking her eyebrow, Liz moved to pull her knees into her chest.

“Hey may be a tiny mutant, but he’s our tiny mutant.” Liz’s laugh made him feel warm, but he could feel she was hoping for something more from here.

“But seriously, the last year would have been unbearable without you.” Between Maria walking out on them - on him- and the way Max had been treating Liz. They had really found solace in each other. They began to lean on each other. There had been a lot of late nights driving around the city or closing up at the bar together.

“Same” Liz was giving him that strange look again. He could feel the warmth and gratitude coming off her in waves. A nervous excited feeling filled his stomach. He wasn’t sure if it was coming from him or Liz, but he was sure he felt it.

Michael pushed himself up onto his palms and into Liz’s space. Her eyes wide and the deepest brown he’d ever seen. Her breath was warm on his cheek in chill of the night. She slid her fingers around the back of his neck and tangled them in his hair. Closing the small distance between them she pressed her lips against his softly.

It was unlike any kiss he had experienced. Liz didn’t push the way Maria did, physically or psychically. She was soft and warm and felt like home. He slid his thumb along her jaw and his fingers around her neck. As he deepened the kiss he swiped his tongue across her lips in silent question. Liz easily complied.

The visions swirled around them and Michael was startled by the strength of the emotions he felt in each. He felt the swell of disappointment when she came in second to Pam Troy during the 6th grade science fair. Which only happened because Pam’s dad was a doctor. He helped her build a fully functioning circulatory system.

The pain she felt when the bullet pierced her stomach. He felt everything she did so strongly he could swear it happened to him.

The nervousness she felt during their 8th grade bio lab didn’t feel quite like it should. He had always thought she was afraid of him, kid from the wrong side of the tracks and such, but this wasn’t that at all. It was more like butterflies, more like a crush.

Breaking the kiss Michael breathed, “all that time? “

Liz smiled “Pretty much. Things got pretty crazy after the shooting though.”

Michael wasn’t sure how to respond, and at that moment his phone began ring giving him a second to process. “It’s Max”

Liz stiffened and the smile on her face fell.

“Hello Maxwell” Michael stated. As he turned away from Liz he swung his legs to dangle over the side of the van. He hated that ridiculous cell phone. Max made them all get them “in case of emergency” but it was really just a way for max to keep tabs on them.

“Have you seen Liz, she never made it home last night and her phone is going straight to voicemail.”

Michael breathed deeply and tried to keep the edge out of his voice. “We both got roped into an overnight shift. Just getting off now. We’ll be home soon.”

He could hear practically hear the tension in Max’s shoulders. “You didn’t think to call?”

“Maxwell, it was my fault. Liz’s phone died, I was tired, I just didn’t think about it. It was pretty crazy for an overnight shift, apparently it’s prom season.” Michael could hear Max let out a frustrated sigh and then the phone went quiet.

Michael flipped the phone shut and looked down at Liz. Kissing her again softly he whispered, “We should probably go.”

Instead of agreeing Liz grabbed Michael by the collar and kissed him deeply.

\-----

**Atlanta, GA - 2007**

Michael stood in the doorway buttoning up his coat as Liz threw the last of her belongings into her bag. “Let’s just tell him then and face the consequences,” He declared. For the second time that day he was awash in her fear and surprise.

“What?” Liz moved past Michael through the doorway and headed to the living room. They both needed to leave for the diner soon; they’re signed up for the graveyard shift.

Michael took a deep breath, “ Those are our options. Run or tell him the truth. We have been doing this,” he motioned between them, “long enough.” He scratched at his eyebrow as he implored, “Let’s just tell him. We don’t have to tell him everything but I think it’s time you ask for a real divorce, and we should tell him we’re both leaving. I am tired of this and I know you are too. We shouldn’t have to live like this.”

Liz reached out and took his hand, rubbing small circles on his thumb. “I just don’t know how. How do I do it Michael? I mean, how would we react, if Max and Maria were doing what we are doing?”

“Honestly, I think I’d be relieved.” Liz glared up at him “But I don’t think that applies here because you and I are not Max and Maria. We don’t have nearly the same hysterical reactions. We’ve been walking on eggshells around Max a lot longer than we’ve been together. I think we deserve a chance to stop putting Max first and start building lives for ourselves. Don’t you agree?”

Her long dark hair slid off her shoulders as she nodded. “You are absolutely right. We all deserve to move on.”

Michael smiled at her brightly and pulled her into to his chest, resting his chin on the top of her head. “ I’ll be right beside you the whole time.” For the first time in a long time it felt like things were going to work out for the best.

 


End file.
